


In Need of Help

by yahootoldyou



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, F/M, Female Obi-Wan Kenobi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-16
Updated: 2017-04-21
Packaged: 2018-09-24 20:13:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9784277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yahootoldyou/pseuds/yahootoldyou
Summary: Obi-Wan Kenobi flees Utapau to save herself the grief of having to face Darth Vader again, hoping to find refuge on some small planet and live out her life in peaceful solitude. She doesn't get the chance to when Padmé Amidala comes to her, hoping Obi-Wan will help her keep her children safe from the Empire.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is basically the product of me thinking about the galactic women's march against the empire vs the one we had vs trump.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is what she is, she will not hide or bend or break. Especially not for Anakin Skywalker, the boy turned man who she had given up so much for. The truth of the matter is, Obi-Wan knows that he does not love her back, has watched with the pain she’s sure all other unrequited lovers must stifle and struggle to maintain. She has let this boy turn her in and out for years, but she will no longer. Not after this. How could she forgive him for this?

Master Jedi, General of the Republic; Obi-Wan Kenobi is strong, valiant, intelligent, and she is most certainly independent. Too often, she put the needs of others before herself, but not anymore. Utapau was hot and her battle with grievous had left her with scorched robes. The scorching was drenched with the heavy wetness of the pool she had fallen into after her Commander decided she was his enemy. So she was hot and drenched from head to toe, feeling the galaxy falling apart around her as she flew to Alderaan. 

_Not Coruscant. Never again._

She had felt the dilemma in her former padawan before she had left, felt the pain and uncertainty that had plagued his force signature. He had refused to come to her about his problems, had refused to be honest about his relationship with the senator from Naboo, and so Obi-Wan had given zero fucks in the moments before she left. Anakin didn’t trust her so why should she care how he felt? How his obvious marriage was going? The senator was pregnant, that much Obi-Wan could clearly tell, with two little Skywalker force fireballs growing stronger everyday within her. The senator had his affection, his love, his body, his mind, and his attention. She had everything Obi-Wan had never been gifted. Why? She was the one who fought beside him, who reigned in the anger and uncontrollable emotions within her boy. She was the one who had cared for him when he was sick, who had carried his weight on her slim shoulders when he was too injured to continue. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker were almost synonymous to anyone you asked about them.

_Not anymore._

Anakin Skywalker was as good as dead from what Obi-Wan could tell and she was scorned enough not to run back into the heart of the problem and get herself killed. Obi-Wan was not going to see who survived, no matter how much her heart pulled her to the Jedi Temple to desperately search for survivors. They wanted to place a dictator in charge of the government when she was too far away to do anything about it? Then they could handle having her as an enemy. Including Anakin. 

The pain threatens to come alive, choking up her throat, trying to wrench itself free but she swallows it down forcefully. Anakin Skywalker had not chosen her ever, had told her and proven so too many times to count. In this universe, like in so many others she figures, Anakin Skywalker did not choose Obi-Wan Kenobi, and for the first time since the original time, Obi-Wan decides not to choose him in return. Her comlink beeps, startling her into alertness. 

“Hello?” She stares blankly into space as she answers, not even checking to see who it is. 

“Master Kenobi? Alive, you are,” the comforting voice of Yoda says and she nearly whimpers in relief. 

“Master? What’s happening?” Obi-Wan’s voice is just the faintest hint of a whisper, but she knows Yoda can hear and understand her. Obi-Wan felt her bond fray with Anakin on Utapau, felt the ugly emotions of her former apprentice overwhelm her briefly before she was forced to shield. Anakin had turned, she was sure, and had probably killed. It seems cruel that now she won’t even be spared the details. 

_What has he done?_

“Fallen, Young Skywalker has. Killed all the Jedi, he has, including the younglings,” Yoda says, pity in his tone. Obi-Wan had weirdly always been a favorite of the small green master and it is obvious in how he addresses her. 

“No,” she gasps out. Her ship sails peacefully in undisturbed hyperspace, but her heart beats and breaks continuously. _Not the younglings, Anakin couldn’t have._

“The boy you trained, gone he is. Consumed by Darth Vader,” Yoda confirms and she swears she’s choking, all former confidence stolen from her. Her family is dead, her army has deserted her, and her boy has betrayed her. 

“Master Yoda, I want to help save the galaxy, but if I fight now I will lose. I’m too emotionally unstable to handle facing him right now,” she says, wearily rubbing her palm over her heat stained flushed face. Tears are pricking the corners of her eyes, the dryness that had lingered finally beginning to burn. She tries to blink it away, but the burning remains. The pain she had choked down has returned full force. 

“Understand, I do, Obi-Wan. Away, we must go, until a time arises where we must return.” Obi-Wan confirms and ends the calls, trying to fit the pieces together that could have led to the fall of a system that has lasted thousands of years. She sits in silence until she begins to scream. She has never done this before, has never allowed her emotions to overcome her so completely, but she cannot help it now. Anger erupts from her in a large burst, her screams sounding across the galaxy. 

Sensing that feeling, the one that is so familiar to her, of Anakin feeling their bond Obi-Wan does the only thing she can think to do to detach herself from her pain and pulls the bond so harshly it shatters in her mind. She screams again, long and sustaining, before collapsing into unconsciousness against the headrest of her ship. It sails on autopilot through space towards Alderaan at top speed. 

 

 

Somewhere on Mustafar, Anakin feels her pain in their frayed bond and pauses his massacre to prod along it. Part of him hopes his former master dies for her allegiance to the Jedi, but the largest part of him hopes she is safe. That he will be able to find her later and explain so that she will understand. He’s still feeling along it when it falls through his mental fingers in shards. The bond lays around his mental shields, once a strand so golden, pure and strong lies gray and cold. He collapses to his knees and screams in agony, the pain of it causing the force to push out from him in all directions. Any enemy or target left not killed flings to the wall, bones and necks shattering with the pressure. Darth Vader curls in on himself alone, the pain screaming through his head as he does out loud. 

 

 

A loud beeping noise brings Obi-Wan back into awareness. Her ship had arrived out of hyperspace several minutes ago and she has been a sitting duck there for anyone to come by and kill. In retrospect, ripping the bond was probably not the best decision when she had to be at her top skill level, but she can’t help but be relieved that Anakin no longer has a direct link to her. 

She steers the ship down into the underdeveloped section of Alderaan, landing it in a wild flower field. The scene is peaceful and beautiful, a direct contrast to Obi-Wan’s heart. She disembarks the ship, moving to nearly the edge before she turns, reaching into her pocket for her healing oil and a match. Moving back to the ship she opens up the hood, pouring the oil over the engine. Sniffing back tears, Obi-Wan takes off her robe and her over-tunics, throwing them in and pouring the rest of the oil over them. Scraping the match along the metal of the ship she had spent many battles in, she ignites it, throwing it in with the scraps of her old life before taking off in a sprint. 

The explosion is loud and extreme, still rocking her off balance from her sizable distance from it. She manages not to fall and slows to a walk, making her way towards civilization where hopefully, her old friend Bail will help her. 

 

 

After six hours of needed thinking time as she emerges from the woods into the capital city of Alderaan, she keeps her head down, her lightsaber shoved into her boots. She knows she doesn’t look like a Jedi anymore, but she clearly looks like she’s been hurt and is in need o medical attention, which will draw eyes on its own. The last thing she needs is for someone to recognize her because her battered appearance drew too much attention. She slips into a small store and searches her utility belt for the small wad of credits she always keeps on her. The small woman behind the counter looks up at her with knowing eyes, seemingly peering into her soul. 

“Hello, young one, what has brought you so far from home?” The woman asks with a smooth voice that scratches just around the edges. She reminds Obi-Wan of a grandmother figure, but Obi-Wan figures she isn’t a fair judge of that considering the closest thing she had ever had to a grandparent was Dooku or Yoda, neither of which really fit the bill. 

“I am a traveler seeking refuge here. My ship caught fire out in the middle of the woods,” she answers, looking around at the clothing on the walls. In the end, Obi-Wan picks some nicer looking blue robes to slip into, knowing she looks far different then she did in beige and brown. As she purchases the clothing, the woman slips a key into her hand and jerks her head towards the back of the store. Obi-Wan heads back, finding a fresher that allows her to clean herself a bit and ditch the rest of her old clothing. The blue robes are flowing enough to hide her lightsaber easily and the fresher was well stocked with paper towels for her to wipe the soot and grime from her body. She looks down at her brown boots in dismay when suddenly there is a knock on the door. 

“Here, sweetheart, I brought you some new simple black boots free of charge,” the woman says when she opens it, taking the brown boots from her. Obi-Wan could nearly sob at her kindness. 

“Thank you so much,” she whispers sincerely and the woman grins at her before moving back to the front of the store. Obi-Wan slips on the new footwear and looks at herself in the mirror. She looks almost like a normal civilian for the time being, but she plans on changing her hair color and style as soon as the opportunity arises. She walks back out into the front of the store, placing the remainder of the credits she had on the counter for her gratitude before bowing to the woman in respect. 

“Good luck, Master Jedi,” the woman says as Obi-Wan walks out, a small smile appearing on her face. 

 

 

The palace is in sight as she makes her way through the crowded city streets, most patrons distracted by the news that is constantly blaring the events of the past twenty-four standard hours. 

She sneaks into the palace by jumping into a second story window and walking through the familiar hallways towards where she knows Bail is based on his signature. She walks briskly, her intent palpable in the air around her. The hallways are so grand that they almost make her feel small without her robes and her status, but this is life now, she knows, and she won’t back down the way Yoda wants, she can’t.

“Bail?” She asks as she pushes the door open to his main office. The room is so familiar to her and she could cry in relief. She walks further into the room looking for her friend.

_“Obi-Wan?”_ Her breath catches in her throat and she freezes because no way is this possible. No way. _The force could not be so cruel._

“Obi-Wan, is that you?” The familiar voice asks again and Obi-Wan turns to come face to face with an incredibly pregnant Padmé Amidala. 

_“Holy shit.”_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> obi-wan and padmé talk, anakin wakes up

“You _ran_ away?” Obi-Wan sits in a plush chair inside of Bail Organa’s office, incredulous and most certainly confused. The only other sentient in the room is the wife of the man Obi-Wan spent the last ten years of her life loving with everything she had. The woman Anakin betrayed everything for was sitting in front of Obi-Wan, asking for her help instead of flocking to his side. _At least someone else saw sense in this, at least Padmé isn’t letting him have his happy ever after._

“He came to me and… And he had this sick look in his eyes, Obi-Wan, like he’d-“ she chokes a bit on her grief before continuing, “He looked insane. He just didn’t seem like Anakin and when I saw the temple… Somehow I just knew.” She swallows thickly, somehow unable to look Obi-Wan, someone she’s considered a dear friend all this time, in the eyes. Padmé keeps her eyes facing downward, shame filling every single pore in her skin. Obi-Wan’s eyes have visibly narrowed and she feels tense frustration at the woman in front of her. This was a woman who had taken Anakin from her-No! The truth is often objective, but Obi-Wan knows that to blame Padmé for Anakin and his decisions is wrong. Padmé is here, sitting in front of her instead of in her husband’s arms and from her point of view, that is a tremendous sacrifice. From any point of view honestly. The truth is Anakin was never Obi-Wan’s and while it hurts, accepting it is the first step to finding a way back towards her old self. 

“The dark side changes people, Padmé. Anakin made decisions that he thought were necessary, I’m sure,” Obi-Wan comforts even though she wants to be as shaken as the woman in front of her. In a sick way, Padmé is almost a mirror to Obi-Wan’s inner self, the one who is mourning and grieving Anakin and his betrayal. 

“It’s my fault, _force Obi-Wan_ , he did this for me!” All at once, Obi-Wan knows why Anakin did what he did. Knows that his nightmares had finally driven him off a ledge he couldn’t pull himself back up onto. The knowledge doesn’t help her, doesn’t heal, only widens the wound that has engraved itself in her soul. 

Padmé looks a wreck, her cheeks flushing as she falls apart for the first time since the fall of the Republic The poor woman sobs brokenly, repeating the admission of her guilt over and over. Obi-Wan cannot rob her of this moment, knowing that she had her moment in her spacecraft to regain her composure, even if it took knocking her unconscious. It’s not anyones fault but Anakin’s, no one has the right to take the repercussions of his actions except for him. 

_“No, it is not!”_ Obi-Wan shouts suddenly, her temper flaring to life. Padmé startles, her eyes opening to a comically wide state. She pities Padmé, even if the woman had the love Obi-Wan so envied.

“Padmé,” she says in a more measured tone, “Anakin made his own choices. Don’t do either him or yourself the injustice of taking the blame for them,” Obi-Wan solemnly says, keeping eye contact with the woman. Tears trail down flushed cheeks, but Padmé visibly straightens herself, a hard glint to her eyes. She remains silent for a few more minutes. 

“You’re right. Of course, you’re right. You were always the most sensible Jedi I had ever met…” she trails off in thought before, “This is why I told him to trust you! _To talk to you!_ But no, _Anakin fucking Skywalker doesn’t need any help!_ ” Questions hurl themselves against the cage of Obi-Wan’s shields, begging to be tossed towards a bond she forcibly removed. _Yes, Anakin_ , she wonders to herself, _why didn’t you trust me? Where did I go wrong? Where did I fail you?_

“Yes, I’m wondering why he didn’t also,” she admits to her friend’s wife and almost wants to fling herself from the office through the large panel of transparisteel. Anakin had been arrogant towards the end of their relationship, thinking himself unbeatable and above the other Jedi in both morality and skill. The end had been about as bad as it could be, but Obi-Wan had considered the boy her best friend until the break, until he tore the universe apart to save his family that he should never have had! He had been her best friend, the man that she trusted with both her heart and her life, but he had forfeited both when it had suited him. 

“He said you wouldn’t listen, Obi-Wan, that you would give us away entirely to the council, but sometimes I think it was something else. If you had been a man, or maybe if you had just been a master to him, he would have told you I think, but the damned man loved you. He loved me in his obvious, too strong way, but he loved you too. That’s why I think he never told you,” Padmé whispers to the open office, not quite able to look at Obi-Wan, but not able to handle the weight of the theory any longer. They were the two women who mattered the most to Anakin since his mother died and Ahsoka left, the two people he was desperate to hold on to with a harsh grip. 

“I loved him too,” Obi-Wan admits to the man’s pregnant wife, shame and humiliation washing over her. Obi-Wan had loved that man with everything she could, but he had loved another, had given his love to another. 

“I know. I knew. Of course I did, but you were the only thing that made him even remotely okay with going back to the Jedi after Ahsoka left and the galaxy needed him. I figured I could share my husband if it meant the war may end,” Padmé quickly spews and hangs her head more. Obi-Wan squeezes her eyes shut and wonders why they both allowed Anakin to play with their emotions so thoroughly. Because you’re both good, a voice that sounds like Anakin’s says in her head. Padmé had sacrificed parts of Anakin that had been vowed to her through marriage and Obi-Wan had sacrificed parts of him that had been vowed to the Order when he became a knight and they had both done it for the good of the galaxy, to keep Anakin, the Chosen One, in a war effort that would have been lost far sooner without him. The man in question had even ended the war in less than twenty-four standard hours when it suited him.

“I’m sorry I took him from you, Padmé,” Obi-Wan says sincerely. The two women in the room are not at fault for their situation, for loving the man who destroyed the galaxy so thoroughly. He had played them both. Padmé laughs harshly. 

“You took him from me? I’m sorry I took him from you, Obi-Wan! When I married him, I knew what I was doing to him, to the Order, and _especially to you!_ I knew my actions were wrong and I went through with them anyway because I loved him. So trust me, you may be sorry, but I am in your debt and you will never and should never be as sorry as I am,” Padmé finishes, wiping tears from below her soulful brown eyes, absolving Obi-Wan of her guilt for keeping Anakin’s attention. Obi-Wan moves across the room and gathers her shaken friend in an embrace. She soothes the tension from Padmé’s shoulders, gently running her hand over her back. The woman cries a bit longer, probably concerned that Obi-Wan hadn’t yet. The truth of Obi-Wan’s mental breakdown would be revealed later. After a few minutes of solidarity, Padmé once again collects herself. 

“You do not need to apologize for the past, Padmé. There is nothing to be done about it now, not when he has betrayed us both so utterly,” a bitter tone comes into her voice towards the end of her sentence, but the Jedi are gone and there is no reason to hold in her disdain. 

“Thank you,” the woman in her arms mumbles, before moving her head around to look Obi-Wan in the eye. 

“You’re welcome,” Obi-Wan says and it feels like a holy moment, one of forgiveness for both of them. They are in this together, whether they want to be or not. They remain looking into each other’s eyes, knowing that they are bound because of his mistakes, knowing that they have fierce allies in each other. 

“Obi-Wan I came here hoping to ask for your help,” Padmé says, her eyes once again shining with defiance and mischief. For once, Obi-Wan lets the sly smirk she always stifles appear, one of pure plans to fuck someone up.

“Anything,” Obi-Wan promises and finds that she means it. Padmé is the only other person who will understand how she feels in the galaxy and the woman needs protection from her husband, the Sith Lord that will undeniably come for both her and her unborn children. Obi-Wan didn’t know where her life was headed when she hung up the com from Yoda, but she knows now. Obi-Wan Kenobi has found purpose in helping Padmé and her children, his children. How poetic is that this is the place and the people she finds a new meaning within. _Fuck you, Anakin Skywalker_ , she lets slip through her shields. Bond or no bond, she hopes the man somehow manages to hear it. The shields come back up and she looks at the woman in her arms in anticipation. 

“Let’s start a rebellion,” Padmé says and Obi-Wan nods.

“Let’s do it.”

 

 

Anakin Skywalker has never been a patient man and waking up in a medbay healing moderate burns from the heat of Mustafar was not a pleasant experience. He had awoken days ago, strapped to a table while a droid placed bacta over the burns on his back and the one on his face. He doesn’t know what happened and he’s almost afraid to look inside himself for what so critical could have broken to lead him to his current position. A dark presence enters the building and heads towards him, alerting Vader that his master has arrived. 

“Lord Vader,” comes the sick, crackling voice of Palpatine, of Darth Sidious, a part of him reminds himself. No more is this the comforting, grandfatherly man of his youth, he is his master, the one who promised to save his wife. His wife. _Where is his wife?_

“Master, where am I? What happened?” The room crackles with the strength of the man in front of him, so much so that Anakin wonders how he truly never felt it before. 

“It seems that your Old Master ripped your bond in half, sending more than likely both of you into unconsciousness,” the man sneers at his apprentice who has gone white as a sheet.

“Obi-Wan did what?” He whispers hoarsely, not quite believing it. 

“She tore your bond, Apprentice, don’t make me repeat myself needlessly,” Sidious harshly reprimands to the boy in the bed in front of him healing. Anakin is shaking with grief at what he has just learned, sending out probes in his own mind to find the bond that had always been present. There, in the corner of his mind, are the shattered gray remains of something once so strong. He feels tears in his eyes, but forces them back. _She tore their bond? That could have killed them both! Why would she do that?_

“Where is Padmé? Is she safe? Is she alright?” Anakin asks, hoping to drag the attention away from his apparent attachment to his old Jedi Master. Sidious is still looking ugly at his apprentice, his face one of pure contempt. 

“Gone,” is the angry response from Sidious. Anakin feels his world collapsing around him. _How could she have **died** , Sidious **promised!**_

“Gone like? Did she die? Master, is she dead?” Anakin is frantic as he asks, desperate to know if both his old master and Padmé are away from his grasp forever. 

“No, just gone. She fled the planet,” Sidious assures his apprentice, afraid of shoving him too far off the ledge just yet. Anakin’s eyes are wide with frantic worry and fear, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. _She fled?_

“Why would she do that?” Anakin asks, frantic again, but receives just a cold look in response, before Sidious leaves the room and the hospital, only telling Vader to report for his first lesson sometime early next week when he had healed. Anakin sits alone in the bed, hyperventilating. 

_Why did Padmé leave him? Where did she go? More importantly, who did she go to?_

_And Obi-Wan. Why did she abandon him? Break their bond? Was she trying to run? He would find her. He would find them both._

Anakin Skywalker turned Darth Vader sits in his medbay bed, planning how to drag the two women he loves back to his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the men of star wars need a reality check and that is what they will get.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the march

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so the march itself doesn't happen in great detail, because I don't think there's a ton to say that's completely relevant to the plot, but don't worry more detail will occur in later chapters, this is just the build up. Also, this fic was inspired by Natalie Portman making a speech at the women's march in dc. enjoy!

Women from all over the galaxy gather in an empty old freighter warehouse on the edge of Coruscant, signing into the large registry at one end of the room. The thing about Emperor Palpatine is that the man just doesn’t respect the power of a uterus and disrespects women of every culture when he does so. At the very beginning of his power, the Emperor revoked the right to every species of the female gender to have an abortion. The outrage had been immediate and it had taken hold of the galaxy, all eyes turning to the three women who headed the quickly rising resistance. 

One woman had short black hair if the rumors were to be believed. She used to be a Senator so they say and is heavily pregnant with perfect skin. She is beautiful and strong, with a deadly shot, always covering those dark eyes with sunglasses. The rumors are that this mystery figure is going to give a speech today to rally the women, but nothing has been confirmed. Either way, the mumbles that rumble throughout the large group is enough to stir anticipation and excitement in the women. Finally, they’ll get a look at Citadel and Widow, the two who started this movement when the man first came into power. The woman with short black hair is called Widow, but there are rumors of her real name, not that anyone dares to say it. This woman is giving up her old life to lead their cause, _they will not betray her._

The other woman is called Citadel and she is said to have a bright purple pixie cut and the bluest eyes anyone had ever seen. The woman appears and disappears seemingly out of nowhere in flashes of blue and black. She wears a lot of leather jackets and black sunglasses, never appearing without a utility belt. The rumor is she used to be a Jedi, that her blue pants are so flowy because they hide an obvious weapon that is no longer legal, but nobody knows for sure. She is swift and legendary, a warrior who has found a new fight in their rights. 

The last woman, the only part of leadership that had anything to do with talking to the public, is a young togrutan female called Fulcrum. She is a fierce warrior, reported to have the same weapons as Citadel. She meets the people as they enter the building, but almost everyone here has at least seen her before. She is the face of their movement, the inspiration to spread the word and continue the good fight. 

So three women by the names of Citadel, Widow, and Fulcrum run the resistance against the empire, or so the report Sidious is reading says. He growls, tossing the report aside and picking up a paperweight placed at the edge of his desk, hurling it across the room. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that he is being played by his apprentice’s lovers and his fucking child. _Force, couldn’t a guy trick a man over to the dark side and rule the galaxy without women getting in his way?_

Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padmé Amidala have been thorns in his side since before the fall of the Republic, always keeping Anakin’s fall just out of reach, far enough that it took four years longer than originally planned to end the Clone Wars and establish his Empire. When the rebellion had sprung up weeks after Amidala had gone missing, Sidious knew the horrid liberty-loving woman was involved, always one for sticking her nose where it simply didn’t belong. And when Kenobi didn’t face Vader at all in a final showdown, Sidious knew he was in for it. Now, they go by the names Citadel and Widow, not to keep themselves from him, but to keep themselves from _him_ , the boy who loved them both, who ruined them both, who set them both free. _Anakin Skywalker._ If Sidious has anything to do about it, that man will be dead and replaced with Darth Vader completely. Yes, that is the goal. _If only he would do what he is supposed to for once…_ There’s an obnoxious knock on the door. 

“What,” he demands, more statement instead of question. He did not wish to be disturbed this afternoon. 

“Your Highness, there is… Well, uh there’s a disturbance out on Main Street and um it’s headed towards the palace,” the intern spits nervously, quickly, crazily. 

_“You incompetent fool!_ You’re just telling me this now?” Sidious picks up the other paperweight, this time hurling it at the intern who shakes by the door. He flinches when the glass shatters near his head, eyes wide with fear.

“Get out of here! You’re fired!” The Emperor is still screaming incoherent things when the intern shuts the door, running down the hall and out of the rotunda. For some reason, the unnamed, unimportant, third one this month, intern very briefly feared for his life. There was something there in Emperor Palpatine’s eyes that sparked fear in the primal part of himself that so often lay dormant. For a moment the intern swore he saw _yellow_ there in the man’s eyes, sick and sulfuric. He shakes his head as he flees, sure thoughts like that will end in his death if he’s not careful. 

 

 

Padmé sits at a large desk in the empty warehouse, Obi-Wan lacing up sneakers on her feet so she can march comfortably with her added weight. She smoothes her hands over her round belly restlessly, knowing it’s only a matter of time before her two buns in the oven pop out to greet the world. 

“Shh,” Obi-Wan soothes as she stands from her squatting position to lay a gentle hand on Padmé’s shoulder. She massages it a tad, before moving around the desk and plopping in a big chair across from her. 

“Should we drink to it?” Obi-Wan asks absentmindedly, earning her an eager laugh from Ahsoka, who stands near the door, and a concerned shake of the head from Padmé. Obi-Wan’s purple hair has grown a bit and red rims the top near her roots, but she kind of likes it like this. She runs her fingers through it, looking at her companion with boredom. 

“I can’t, but you’re welcome to,” Padmé gestures to the bump of her stomach, causing Obi-Wan to scrunch her face in apology, “just not in excess, okay? We need to be ready for this afternoon.” Obi-Wan groans, but pulls the whiskey across the room to her with the force. Next she calls two smaller glasses, sending a smirk Padmé’s way before using the force to pour the two glasses and settle the bottle on the desk before moving one of the glasses towards Ahsoka who takes it. 

“Master Kenobi, was that a frivolous use of the force I just saw?” Ahsoka giggles and Obi-Wan sputters over her laughter as she downs the whiskey. 

“Of course not, Ahsoka, I would _never,_ ” she says slyly, a mischievous grin on her face as she leans back in her chair, the empty glass hanging just above the ground, held in the loosest form possible by her long, non-manicured fingers. Padmé laughs from behind the desk.

“I swear, you two are worse than children,” she chides affectionately, laughing along with them. The three women sit in the warehouse, having returned to Coruscant for the first time since the fall of the Republic. Bail had given them refuge on Alderaan, allowing them to start a smaller unit there and on other core worlds while Ahsoka traveled throughout the Outer and Mid Rim planets. They had contacted the girl soon after they had decided to start their resistance movement, and she had been all too happy to assist in taking down both the Empire and it’s attack dog, _Darth Vader._ By now, everyone had seen Anakin Skywalker, hero of the Empire on the news. He was a traitor, had stabbed them all in the back for his own purposes. If necessary, the three women who loved him most would do what had to be done to save democracy. 

“Ah yes, but we’re the two children that are going to help with _your_ two children,” Obi-Wan laughs, soon being joined by both Padmé and Ahsoka. The sky on Coruscant is clear as they prepare themselves to march the palace, demanding more equality in terms of women’s rights and also more than likely reveal themselves to the man they’ve been running from for so long.

“Keep up this behavior, Obi-Wan, and you’re not going anywhere near my babies,” she pauses, “or I guess _our_ babies since you’re going to raise them with me.” Obi-Wan grins at her from her seat, letting her flowing robes brush the floor slightly.

“Well, darling, if I’m going to raise them, I’m going to have to be near them,” Obi-Wan snarks, putting her feet up on the makeshift desk. Padmé rolls her eyes at her companion and Ahsoka giggles before clearing her throat.

“Okay, Ladies, now lets get in formation,” Ahsoka says and Obi-Wan snorts, picking herself out of the chair and brushing the wrinkles out of her robes. She walks around to lift Padmé out of hers gingerly, gently grasping her elbows. Ahsoka rolls her eyes fondly at the two women who have been like a mother to her and pushes the office door open, holding for them. Obi-Wan swipes the back of Ahsoka’s head as they walk by, a victorious smile on her face as she does so. 

“Let’s go greet the cavalry,” Padmé says, gingerly taking the stairs one at a time. 

 

 

When the three women descend the stairs, the silence is palpable, all women in the room staring up at them. The warehouse has overflowed, women completely filling the next four blocks by the warehouse. Obi-Wan stares out the window in astonishment, eyes filled with wonder at just how many people have something to say to their government. The danger is real, this will more than likely be split up by large numbers of storm troopers, but these brave women came anyway to stand up for what is right. She blinks tears away, unable to rub them do to the thick eye makeup Padmé insisted she put on. She claims it makes Obi-Wan look more badass. Obi-Wan turns away from the window, to feel at least half of the eyes in the room fall on her. She sees recognition in some of them and in others the sneaking suspicion of who she is or perhaps, who she once was. There’s more than just women there though, men and people of other sexualities coming forth to show their support of women’s rights while standing up for the rights of others. Obi-Wan has not felt hope since the fall of the Republic, but seeing this, seeing these people makes everything a little bit better. 

Padmé reaches the end of the stairs and goes to stand at the makeshift podium in the front of the crowd. Slowly, knowing rushing would make her appear undignified, Obi-Wan pulls the sunglasses from where they hand on the collar of her robes and puts them on, taking the steps one at a time to stand on the other side of Padmé as she greets the masses.

“Hello fellow rebels, my name, as you all have so cleverly dubbed me, is Widow and these are my friends Citadel and Fulcrum,” Padmé gestures to them each in turn and Obi-Wan bows her head a bit, allowing a smile to come over her. 

“Today, we march the Imperial Palace because we deserve to have our rights returned and upheld. We march the Palace to inform the government, the Empire, of our displeasure with the way it has treated it’s citizens. Today we march for what’s right!” The crowd cheers and Obi-Wan hears the deafening roar from outside, Ahsoka having broadcasted the speech as it happened. It is appearing all over the galaxy, Obi-Wan feeling the inherent lightening of the force as people come together for the greater good. People are marching in systems across the galaxy. Padmé is still making her speech as Obi-Wan listens to the crowds outside and in. Feeling a surge of exhilaration and happiness, Obi-Wan takes the mic in her hand, ripping it from Padmé’s in the process. 

_“Let’s go get those motherfuckers!”_ She cheers and the crowd roars louder, Padmé swatting her on the back of the head for getting carried away. She smiles cheerfully, laughing even harder when Ahsoka wraps an arm around her and joins in. 

They walk with the group, slowly being pushed to the front of the crowd to take the lead. Padmé wraps an arm around Obi-Wan to keep her balance and ease her weight for comfort as they start the chant.

_“My body, my choice! My body, my choice! My body, my choice!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there it is! hope you all enjoyed my feminist rant in a fanfic! let me know what you thought of chapter 3 in the comments!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> anakin finds out about the march and padmé goes into labor

“Lord Vader!” Anakin groans internally as a useless officer rushes into his personal space frantically. He has half a mind to choke the life out of the man where he stands, but he reigns it in, deciding that the look in the smaller man’s eyes could only be the result of one thing in particular. _The Emperor._

“What?” He questions harshly, not wanting to have to be in his presence any longer. The man is shaking like a leaf on Endor and Vader resists the urge to roll his eyes and mock the man to his face. 

“There is a matter the Emperor wishes you be informed of at once, sir,” the man stops, following the Imperial protocol. Anakin hates it with a passion, the useless back and forth between him and his subordinates. _Rex never would have been like this with him…_

“Out with it then! I don’t have all day,” the man is still shaking in front of him and this time Vader does groan in frustration. 

“There’s a march on the Palace at the moment and the Emperor said to alert you that there is something you might want to see,” the man says and Vader finally shoves past him. He moves towards his quarters briskly. He switches the holonet on and sits on the edge of his couch, watching as the emergency Imperial broadcasting network shows a complete mob of people marching through the lower levels of Coruscant, making the long trek to the imperial palace. The crowd is chanting about their bodies being their choice, holding signs that preach against several imperial laws. _“NO ban NO wall Coruscant for ALL!” “History has it’s eyes on you!” “Togrutan lives matter!”_

At the front of the march are three women, the one farthest to the right easily identifiable as Ahsoka. Her lightsabers are absent from her waist, but he’s positive she has them. She is easily much older than the last time he saw her, that is very clear, topping off as what must be over six feet. 

The one in the middle has her arm around the one to the left and is… _heavily_ pregnant. His eyes narrow and rage boils in his chest as he recognizes his wife under the thick shades and short black hair. Did she really believe that would be enough to keep her hidden from him? His eyes drift to her pregnant belly and he knows it’s time to find her and bring her home to him so she can safely have the babies. So she can _survive._

It’s the woman next to his wife though, that truly catches his surprise and attention. She has thick black sunglasses on her face and her pink lips are pulled into a wide grin. Her hair is so different then she’d kept it originally. The long red waves from his past have been traded for a short cut like the one he sported as a padawan and yet so different. So… _purple._ He wants to reach out and rip it from her head. _How dare she change so much?_ Her Jedi robes have been traded for blue ones, the v of the top half exposing so much skin Anakin had never seen. His eyes trail over it and he wonders if he ever truly knew the real her at all. He wonders if she thinks the same of him… He _knows_ she does. The woman who raised him, the woman he loves, looks so different from what he knows that he has to swallow a scream. In her hands is a sign that reads: _“A woman’s place is in the resistance!”_

He stands abruptly, moving out the door of his quarters and into the corridor. 

“Call me a shuttle and get me on the ground as soon as possible!” He orders his crew, hoping the threat of death for incompetence is enough to get him on the ground as fast as possible. A woman’s place, that woman specifically along with her friends, is by his side doing the things he wants her to. The three of them would return to him and soon. 

 

 

“That was utterly fantastic! Unbelievable!” Obi-Wan is practically dancing as the three women enter their small apartment. Padmé sits gingerly, hands coming to soothe her overly pregnant belly. Obi-Wan watches her with a protective eye, making sure the woman is comfortable before going back to being carefree. They laugh as Ahsoka walks over to the bar, pouring all of them a drink, making Padmé a mocktail instead of a cocktail. They sit in the tiny rented living room, enjoying the after affects of being in a march of that magnitude, of _leading_ a march of that magnitude. Ahsoka breathes out a sigh of relief for all of them after she downs her drink, they had avoided the unavoidable. Anakin had not shown up on time to catch them at the march, but the holonet had documented him scrapping through the remaining bunches of women when he had, desperately searching for them. They allowed their moment of amusement before settling back to discuss where this new situation left them.

“So clearly, our disguises were not as effective as we had hoped,” Padmé says and Obi-Wan scoffs, lifting her feet up and draping them over the arm of the chair.

“Like purple hair and sunglasses were going to distract that vulture from his prizes. He would’ve recognized us no matter what, even if he completely altered our appearances,” she rolls her eyes at the end, sipping delicately at her drink. The other two stay silent, but they know their friend is right. Anakin would catch up to them eventually, it was inevitable, and when it happened they needed to be able to do what has to be done. 

“Obi-Wan, there is no need to dwell on such matters right now, we can celebrate. Anakin wont come for us in the next couple of hours,” Padmé declares while tossing back a bit of her fruity mocktail. Ahsoka pours herself more whiskey and Obi-Wan uses the force to turn on the stereo, encasing the small room in sound. 

“Oh, Obi-Wan _really_ , your love for Coruscanti pop music will always confuse me,” Padmé sighs, much preferring the softer singer songwriter music of Naboo. Obi-Wan sticks her tongue out at the former Queen. 

“It gets the blood flowing!” The three laugh before Ahsoka sneakily switches the tunes to the bass heavy rap she and Anakin love so much. Obi-Wan momentarily pauses, remembering hours upon hours traveling in hyperspace with the two of them, but it passes, allowing Obi-Wan to get lost in the rhythm of it as if it had no effect at all. Obi-Wan lays down on the floor, letting her eyes slip close. Ahsoka is swaying with the beat near the small movable bar and Padmé is still in the chair, a slightly pained expression crossing her features. 

“Obi-Wan… _Obi-Wan!_ ” Padmé calls, Obi-Wan shooting up from her position on the floor. 

“Padmé, what’s wrong?” Obi-Wan is instantly by her side as Padmé’s breathing becomes more labored. She reaches for Obi-Wan’s hand, grasping it tightly in her firm grip. Obi-Wan doesn’t wince, trained to keep her face clear of emotion from her time with the Jedi, but she has to admit… Padmé is one strong chick.

“Obi-Wan, I think the babies are coming!” Padmé says just as the couch becomes soaked under her. Obi-Wan is instantly in the closet, pulling out the pre-packed birth bag. She rushes Padmé to a speeder after chucking the bag at Ahsoka, knowing the girl will follow. They sit her in the back and take off for the smallest public hospital on planet. They know that this is bad, that they are practically promising Anakin’s locating of them, but they don’t have a choice. Those babies have to be okay. After everything else that has gone wrong, those babies have to be safe and happy and with them once they are born. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka will kill anyone who threatens them. 

“Obi-Wan… You know we may have to fight our way back out of here right?” Obi-Wan casts Ahsoka a weary look and then looks back at Padmé before nodding. She knows exactly what this might mean. Padmé’s breathing is still labored as she races through crowded air traffic, not even trying to avoid security holos. 

“You hold on back there, Amidala! Don’t give up on me yet!” Padmé grunts in response as Obi-Wan accelerates, beeping to tell people to get out of her way. She takes a deep breath, remembering the way Anakin used to recklessly fly through the city airways and prepares herself. 

_Well, I guess it’s true what they say. The teachers do learn from their students._

Obi-Wan flips the speeder and narrowly fits through two buildings, not recognizing the exhilaration coursing through her veins. 

 

 

Obi-Wan crouches next to Padmé as she screams from the effort. She practices breathing, using her force presence to soothe both the stressed mother and the two force sensitives making their way into the world. Outside, she can hear Ahsoka on the phone with Bail Organa asking for immediate medical evacuation. She has her lightsaber in her pocket, but she knows Ahsoka has moved hers to her belt, ready to attack at any point. The doctors in the room look slightly nervous. They don’t know exactly who the women they’re dealing with are, but there have been too many whimpered “Obi-Wan’s” and assured “Padmé’s” for them to be that ignorant.

_“Breathe, Padmé!_ You have to breathe and push babe, breathe and push,” Obi-Wan says, holding Padmé’s hand off to the side while the doctors do their job. The downside to a hospital as small as this is they have not replaced an actual medical team with droids like the upperclass. There’s more room for error, but there’s also more room for free thinking and compassion, things Obi-Wan hopes win out in the end. She doesn’t want to have to flee the planet with newborns. 

Finally, a small child wiggles into the world, the doctors quickly cleaning it up and clipping the chord connecting it to its mother. The baby is crying as it is swaddled in a soft yellow blanket and handed to Obi-Wan. She holds him down near Padmé, who breathes with her brief relief. 

“It’s a boy,” Obi-Wan whispers hoarsely and Padmé smiles up at her.

_“Luke,”_ she breathes and Obi-Wan pulls the baby close to her chest as the second child begins to make their way into the world. Padmé starts to grunt and then lets out a harsh cry, Obi-Wan rushing to hand the baby to a doctor standing around so she can return to Padmé’s side. This birth goes a lot faster than the first, the baby girl in a rush to meet her brother in the open air. Obi-Wan peeks down to see what’s happening and has to resist the urge to vomit. For being a war general, blood is her least favorite thing. Luckily, lightsabers minimize the bloodshed around the Jedi. She gags a bit, but Padmé is too out of it to comment on the Jedi’s discomfort. 

Soon the doctors hand Obi-Wan Luke and another baby. The blanket is soft like her brother’s, but it’s a soft violet instead of the yellow. Obi-Wan smiles down at the baby, feeling an instant bond between her and the newborn baby girl. 

“It’s a girl,” she whispers again and Padmé smiles brilliantly up at her. 

_“Leia,”_ she sighs and her eyes close. A doctor nudges Obi-Wan and mouthes “last name” clearly writing in the birth certificates. Obi-Wan can’t sigh or rub her eyes with the babies in her arms so she just ignores the sirens going off in her head about leaving a paper trail. 

“Padmé… They need a last name,” Obi-Wan says and Padmé’s eyebrows crease before she relaxes again, clearly exhausted and being blinded by the harsh florescent light above her. 

“Amidala,” she says and Obi-Wan nods to the doctor, even as a pang hurts her heart for the boy she used to love. Looking at the babies in her arms, she knows that regardless of their legal names, they will always be Skywalkers, the force says so. They relax for a moment, Obi-Wan holding Luke and Leia while Padmé slips into rest. Things are not meant to be though. Just as Obi-Wan begins to nod off, she hears a crash and the door bursts open. 

“Obi-Wan! We have company,” Ahsoka huffs running to Padmé and throwing her over her shoulders. Obi-Wan is on her feet and out the door, almost running into a doctor who is standing there. Obi-Wan nearly shoves past her when she notices the doctor is holding something out to her. 

“Here, Master Jedi. It’s a baby carrier. May the force be with you,” the doctor rushes and runs in the opposite direction, obviously not wanting to be caught aiding a fugitive. Obi-Wan appreciates the gesture regardless. She gently moves the babies into a bench and throws the thing on, then situating them equally as gently. 

“Okay, Mommy-Wan, we gotta go or things are gonna get ugly!” Ahsoka stands at the end of the hallway, a weak Padmé slung over a shoulder, white blade ignited at her side. Obi-Wan pulls her lightsaber out, both babies safely attached to her chest and takes off. Leia hiccups and begins to cry as Obi-Wan cuts through security, running to wear their evacuation is located. It’s outside a random window on their floor, but Ahsoka finds it. She launches out into the open ship, Padmé flying with her. Obi-Wan sees Ahsoka hand Padmé off and order that someone get her medical attention. 

Obi-Wan looks down and adjusts the babies to where she knows they won’t fall. She takes a deep breath.

_“Obi-Wan!”_ She turns, shock overcoming her features as Anakin Skywalker flies around the corner. His eyes meet hers and then look at the babies strapped to her chest. His eyes go wide, desperately pleading for her not to jump. 

“I’m sorry,” she says and launches, ignoring Anakin’s roar and the babies cry as she lands in a crouch aboard the ship. She has children to protect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope everyone enjoyed the update! I made this fic shorter than I originally planned, but it's long enough to get the ending I want. let me know what you thought of the chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> farewells

“Obi-Wan, come help me!” Padmé yells out of the door into the vast expanse of the hut and she hears a grunt and then a crash as the woman wakes up from the nap she was taking on the window sill only to roll on to the floor. 

“What?” She calls, the sleep still evident in her voice from the groggy noise that accompanies her words. 

“I said, come help me!” She repeats and hears the slow steps her friend takes as she makes her way down the hall to where Padmé is with a very dirty Luke Skywalker. The former Jedi stumbles into the room, her exhaustion evident.

“Where’s ‘Soka?” She asks and Padmé stares her down. 

“She’s taking her turn in your mechanics shop in Mos Eisley today, Obi. You know this stuff,” she reprimands and the tired Jedi scrubs her face with her hand for a moment, trying to get the sleep to leave her eyes.

“Right. Sorry, Padmé, I know I must look very disheveled right about now,” she apologizes with quiet mirth and her friend hands Luke to her, moving to pick up Leia as well. Once they each have a twin, they set out to change them. 

“It’s quite alright, Obi, you know I’m happy you’ve relaxed and started feeling at home with our little ragtag group,” she smiles at the purple haired woman and Obi-Wan laughs at the remark. Obi-Wan tosses the diaper she just changed into the garbage as Padmé does the same, each taking a twin and walking through the small hut. 

“I have. In a way, I’m almost glad I’m no longer a part of the order. I just wish it hadn’t ended so awfully,” she sighs and Padmé reaches her free hand up to soothe her friend, rubbing her arm. 

“Never feel guilty for enjoying the freedom to express yourself. After all, that’s what democracy is. But know that feeling that way doesn’t mean you are failing the order you served in any way. It’s _okay_ to move forward,” Padmé assures and Obi-Wan sends a small smile her way in response. Obi-Wan knows Padmé is right, even if she can’t help her low periods of survivors guilt. 

The kitchen is letting the sunlight of Tatooine very dimly, but enough that they can see what they’re doing. The space is small, but usable in their decently sized hut out in the jundland wastes. It keeps them safe and comfortable enough, giving them a relatively safe place to raise their two lovely twins. Padmé sits Leia in her highchair before moving over to the fridge unit and getting food out to cook on the stove. She pulls out some blue milk and bantha meat before flipping the dials and putting the meat in the pan. There’s a bunch of seasonings Obi-Wan sees Padmé reach for before she turns her attention to the baby boy in front of her, showering him with love and affection. 

It’s a _son._

_Anakin’s_ son.

Obi-Wan kisses his head four times, happy to just be here with the most innocent, lovable parts of Anakin that exist within his children. It heals her more and more the longer they’re there. She sees herself settling in for a long rest of her life, happy to help Padmé raise the twins and spend time working with Ahsoka. 

In some ways, it felt like her life from before hadn’t changed at all, even as she knows all the time, never a moment passing, that Anakin should be here. He should be with them and the only reason he isn’t is he was too tempted by the power Palpatine was offering. 

_And so Icarus flew too close to the sun… How telling._

“I actually should go into town to pick up some parts to fix the vaporator… Will you be okay until I get back?” Obi-Wan asks, her eyes shining with sincerity. Padmé looks to her and smiles widely, nodding her approval.

“Please do. These kids need some fresh water to healthily grow,” she singsongs, feeding Leia some of the blue milk in a sippy-cup. Obi-Wan laughs as she grabs her poncho and her goggles, taking the speeder bike from the small alcove they’ve crafted into their garage. 

She sets off for Mos Eisley at a high pace, wanting to be back in time to help Padmé put the kids to sleep.

 

 

She had left the shop a little over twenty minutes ago, Ahsoka just finishing up on some unfinished business when she finally got home to the hut. Things were eerily quiet.

“So we meet again, Obi-Wan,” the most familiar voice speaks, interrupting the silence and her saber is in her hand and ignited before she even turns to see him. She searches past his shoulder desperately, trying to find Padmé and the twins. 

_SOS_ , she sends Ahsoka through the force, hoping the girl wasn’t that far behind her. 

“Vader,” she greets, enjoying the flinch on his features, “To what do I owe for the pleasure of your appearance?” His eyes narrow at her sarcastic, overly formal address. 

“You know damn well why I’m here Obi-Wan,” the man hisses. She shrugs at him, moving around the man she used to love more than anything to walk into her home. Vader allows it, following behind her with a sickly prideful look on his face. 

On the floor is the body of one Padmé Amidala. 

_“No,”_ Obi-Wan breathes, the only semblance of the reconstruction of her heart post Order 66 falling into pieces all over again. She doesn’t even turn to look at Vader, doesn’t give a fuck to hear his excuses. She collapses to her knees, a low keening wail escaping her lips as she falls over the body of who had quickly become her best friend, pawing at the gaping lightsaber wound left there. There’s no blood, no physical evidence left behind on Obi-Wan’s body that she had been present for this, no reminder for the ex-Jedi Master who wants to weep from the strength of her agony. Purple bruises have bloomed previously along Padmé’s tan neck, browned by days spent in the harsh sunlight of Tatooine for the last eight months since they fled Coruscant.

_Why is it that everyone she loves dies?_ Qui-Gon, the Jedi, Satine, Padmé, the _twins-_

Where are Luke and Leia?

_“Where are they?”_ Obi-Wan hisses and Vader smirks above her. 

“Come with me and find out,” he taunts, extending his hand for her to grab and the woman stands reluctantly, knowing if she stalls him long enough Ahsoka will be home and able to grab the lightsabers. He takes her hand, rubbing the back of it with his thumb in what she supposes he thinks is some form of comfort. She’s going to be sick. 

She tugs along the slight bond she shares with the girl to alert her to what is happening. She feels a tug in response and hangs her head in resignation, following the man outside to where the children must be. Vader knows all Obi-Wan wants to do is go back and fling herself over Padmé, even if that goes against all the training she’s ever had, even if it means leaving Vader behind and _alive_. The only thing keeping her by his side are his children. And he’s sick and lonely enough to stoop to using them.

He leads her up a ramp onto his ship and she grips his hand tighter, needing him to think she is accepting the comfort he is offering. The smile that pulls his skin away from his teeth looks so familiar but he’s eyes hold a vacancy that gives his disguise away. This is not the boy she raised. Yoda had been right after all, she should have murdered him on Mustafar. It had been a selfish decision not to and look where selfishness had gotten her. 

It had gotten her here, her hand in the larger one of a monster, her best friend lying dead on the floor in a sandy hut on Tatooine, her best friend’s children being found by the Empire. 

She deviates from the code once and it causes her to lose everything.

The ache in her chest vibrates through her whole being, the finality of it settling in. 

“Are you going to kill me too?” She asks Vader and the face that looks like the one that she used to love above all turns to look at her, yellow eyes making her stomach twist in discomfort. 

“Why would I do that?” He asks, his head tilted just a tad. It looks like he’s consoling a toddler, the head tilt and fake smile and white teeth giving the worst sense of false safety Obi-Wan has ever felt.

“You killed Padmé,” she whispers, knowing the woman had always held a more important place in the man’s heart than she herself. Anakin would have killed the galaxy before raising a hand against his beloved wife. In fact, he had. He had destroyed the galaxy to save Padmé, he had told her so before she left him for good. 

“That was… a regrettable accident. She just wouldn’t _listen_ , Obi-Wan, she didn’t give me any choice. She was keeping my children from me,” he says, actually managing to sound like he feels an ounce of remorse. Obi-Wan knew the truth, knew that he didn’t care that he had murdered her, not while he had her replacement at his fingertips. 

“Besides,” he continues, “with her out of the way, I can finally be with you.” 

The planet stops spinning, its orbit being thrown off. 

Or maybe it’s Obi-Wan thats been thrown off. 

She can’t tell.

Suddenly, she can’t feel her toes, can’t remember anything other than the children she came here to save. Anakin had killed the chance for them when he killed the Jedi and Vader would never have earned her heart the way Anakin had. 

The lightsaber that flies over Vader’s head into her hands is a blessing she needs right now. There’s shock on his face as he turns to look at Ahsoka, so much older than the last time he had seen her. He turns back to look at Obi-Wan when he hears the ignition of her lightsaber. 

“Obi-Wan?” He asks, as if he doesn’t know why she’s doing this. As if it’s shocking to him that she would raise her weapon to him after she’s run for so long. 

“Yes, Vader?” She asks, waiting for him to pull his saber out as well. He doesn’t disappoint. The red of his saber is so unlike the one he used to carry that Obi-Wan cringes. 

“You don’t have to die today. Come away with me, turn to the dark side. Help me raise my children,” he begs, trying his best to make his voice sound sincere. Vader doesn’t beg, doesn’t really care to use any persuasion besides force, but force will only make the sheepish Jedi run further into herself. He doesn’t want that, he had missed his former master. 

“And subject those sweet innocents to the wrath of you and your Master? I don’t think so, _Darth_ ,” she spits, a fire he doesn’t recognize in her eyes. She had changed since she left him behind, became more of a person and less of a stoic Jedi Master. He doesn’t know her anymore, the purple hair and new attitude enraging him more than he can even say. He had been prepared for resignation, had been prepared for sad, worn down Obi-Wan. An enraged, somewhat vengeful Obi-Wan had not been considered. 

He brings his blade down and the battle commences. 

 

 

Taking the children off of the ship and fleeing to their own had been the right thing to do, it was what Obi-Wan ordered, but Ahsoka can’t help but feel as though she left her friend to be eaten by wolves on Endor. The babies were hiccuping in her arms, the early signs that they were about to erupt in endless tears. She runs towards the setting twin suns and tries not to cry.

 

 

“Don’t make me _kill you_ ,” Vader says and Obi-Wan snarls, ducking and swinging up her blue blade in a wide arc, intercepting Vader’s above her head. They stand there suspended, red and blue blades locked above them as sparks rain down from what is left of Vader’s cockpit. He snarls, but Obi-Wan just closes her eyes and gathers the force. Vader gasps as he feels the light side of the force radiate from the woman in front of him, her righteous rage not pushing her closer to the edge of no return, but shoving her away from it. When she opens her eyes she shoves him back once, twice, and throws her blade. Vader catches it in his mechanical hand, looking down at the weapon in shock when he feels three precise blaster bolts strike him in the chest. Both lightsabers collapse to the floor, disengaged as Vader falls to his knees. His eyes meets hers, see the blaster that had been hiding in her boot the whole time. 

He should have known, Obi-Wan would _never_ leave herself unarmed with children to protect. 

“Obi-Wan… _Why?_ ” The woman stares down at him with the fire of the twin suns and Vader knows that he pushed her past the point of return. She felt he could not be saved. In the last few moments of his life, the yellow fades to blue and he feels the guilt for all that he has done. The force ripples with his impending death as she sits near his head, pulling it into her lap and tangling her fingers in his hair like she used to after harsh missions to calm him down. 

“You were my brother, Anakin,” as if it explains everything, as if she didn’t just kill him, “I _loved_ you, but I couldn’t save you.” She continues to stroke his hair as his blue eyes close and his last breath fades. She gathers the two lightsabers. Tears stream down her face as she stands, hitting the self destruction code into the control panel and exiting, allowing the ship and Anakin to explode into bits of nothing behind her. Next to her in the sand lands his mechanical hand amongst the wreckage and she picks it up. 

Ahsoka and the ship sit waiting for her to return just minutes later as she brings both Vader’s lightsaber and his hand to the place where she knows Shmi Skywalker rests. Padmé is going to be buried on Naboo, a final farewell to the people who had loved her so much, but first Obi-Wan has to say goodbye to her boy. She shoves the sand aside, making a deep hole before she places the items into it, next to where his mother rests. One single tear streams off her chin and onto the metal, joining the farewell gift. She buries them and hangs her head. 

“May the force be with you, Dear One,” she says and leaves him behind for good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and we're almost done! thank you to everyone who has stuck with this weird little idea since it began, I'm sorry it's shorter than I originally intended. Lots of love, S. 
> 
> come chat with me on tumblr and let me know what you thought of the chapter

**Author's Note:**

> let me know what you think of the beginning!


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